january 25, part b

Although the main focus of spending January 25, 2016 at Mill Bay Veterinary Clinic was to document the visit and surgeries of Laverne & Shirley - two dogs in care of the Victoria Humane Society so we could put together a feature to help tell their journeys - there were a few distractions throughout the day...
Working in a vet clinic means you are constantly subject to animals who are not at their best. Whether it's a routine vaccination or major surgery, the staff are the ones on the frontlines - being both the enemy and the saviour.
The staff at Mill Bay Veterinary Clinic do a lot of procedures for animals who come into the care of Victoria Humane Society - from dental surgeries to the multiple spay/neuter surgeries on litters of puppies, to complicated, life-saving procedures. The staff go above and beyond, often taking animals home to provide round-the-clock care, fostering them through the sometimes difficult recovery process.
And sometimes those animals manage to just squish their furry little souls into the hearts of the staff. You may not know when it'll happen, but you know when it does.
Such is the case of three dogs - Gus, Sammy, and Skittles - I got to visit with that day. 
I've met Gus many times before over the last couple years - he goes everywhere with his mom, Allison. When he first arrived at the vet, no one was really sure if he'd survive. He was born with megesophegus which makes it difficult to digest food. What he eats and when he eats is carefully regulated... and he must eat standing up. At almost two years old, he knows the food drill. At mealtime, he rushes to his Bailey Chair (specially made for him) and hops in and waits for his human servant to bring him his food. Today, Kuzo, a kitten in foster with one of the staff who volunteers with Cowichan Cat Rescue came to visit too! Gus is the official VHS spokesdog. He comes to all the events and makes friends with EVERYONE! {Click here for some of Gus' story}
Sammy comes with his human too. His previous life wasn't so great, but he and Gus are besties and get to spend lots of time being the rambunctious youngsters they are outside in the fenced yard.
Skittles comes in for visits with Dr. Forbes' husband. She finds herself quite at home and the staff follow her around with paper towel because she's an 'excited piddler'. {Click here for Skittles' story}

These dogs offer a brief reprieve and bring a smile to everyone's faces - no matter the day - when they come ripping in. Their exhuberance for life today may be a far cry from their previous lives, but they don't show it.
It's only good days from now on.

Thanks once again to ALL of the staff at Mill Bay Vet Clinic (especially Allison) for being so welcoming and allowing me to follow them around asking questions... all. day. long. Their collective ability - both out front in the public eye as well as back in the surgical areas - to keep focussed while faced with extreme challenges was incredible to witness. 

As of the time of writing, the dogs mentioned at the start of this post, Laverne and Shirley, have been missing for two weeks, having escaped their foster home the day after their surgery. There have been some unconfirmed sightings, but they are still out on their own. They are not together. We are desperate for any/all sighting info and for people to share that they are still missing and to keep their eyes open when out on the trails from the Highlands area to the Hartland area of Greater Victoria. For more info sightings and to share their story, please visit, 'like' and share their facebook page: Find Laverne & Shirley. Thank you.